Picton to Bluff and back

[Jantar]

Uh... something tells me that Gisborne isn't the last place you haven't been. Quite the bold statement to make, when I've spent several hundred thousand km going to most places in the country, but there is still plenty more to see.

I keep thinking I've seen the whole country, but then almost every trip I take I find some roads I haven't been on before. Then a couple of times watching country calendar on TV I see more new places to visit. I know that my next trip to the north island I have to allow at least one extra day to visit somewhere new. (Oh, and another day to do the 1000 miler pre ride on my way home).

[scumdog]

Pick a day off and go a ride for 400ks. That will tell you lots.

High sugar foods and drink or high caffeine will work against you. Water is your friend.

Did Nelson to the Riviera of the South (via Springs Junction) in one hit a couple of months or so ago.

Had a minimum brekky, stopped only when I needed to gas up (about every 400+km) eventually had a filled roll while gassing up at Ashburton as my first 'meal' - had nothing to drink for the trip after I headed out

Got home just over 9 hours later.


It was a shitty ride in rain when I got to the east coast but not too daunting a ride, could have gone further if I'd had to.

[Drew]

Picton to Alexandra, via Lindes(sp) pass is a good way to fuck a day.

[pritch]

Missing out SH94 (Milford Sound) and the West Coast completely? Come on....

You beat me to it.

The east coast roads, with the exception of Picton - Christchurch, which has a certain texture, are generally more suited to trucks than bikes. It'd be more interesting to go through Fairlie, Twizel and the Lindis Pass than hug the coast.

If you do a big figure 8 you can go through all the passes.

I thought my daily milages might be a bit poofy; ride for a couple of hours, stop for lunch, ride for another hour or two. When I went around on the VFR a few years ago the Ducati Owners Club were doing it at the same time. I kept seeing them almost every day so they were doing travelling similar distances to me.

A couple of years ago I went with the Honda Riders Club and they were even more gentle. With the exception of an optional leg, Kaikoura to Geraldine via the Lewis Pass, Lake Brunner, and Arthur's Pass. That leg was some 650k(?).

The usual suggestion when planning things like this is don't back up a big day with another big day. If you must do a big day follow it up with an easy day.

Most people I know spend two nights in the same place about half way around. That's a laundry day so you can get away with carrying half as many clothes as otherwise.

You've got plenty time to work it all out between now and when the weather warms up, don't spoil it for the want of an extra day - or two.

[10bikekid]

Planing a return trip from Auckland to Queenstown next Feb

Will do the Auckland to Picton's same day (635ish road ks) and then settle into about 333kms per day stop a lot and take pics etc but am not really site seeing as such but tend to go into brain mush if do much more ks than this a day, I'm sure its different for everyone and youngys may be able to handle a bit more and still enjoy the journey

Might also invest in an Airhawk for some backside sanity

[russd7]

Did Nelson to the Riviera of the South (via Springs Junction) in one hit a couple of months or so ago.

Had a minimum brekky, stopped only when I needed to gas up (about every 400+km) eventually had a filled roll while gassing up at Ashburton as my first 'meal' - had nothing to drink for the trip after I headed out

Got home just over 9 hours later.


It was a shitty ride in rain when I got to the east coast but not too daunting a ride, could have gone further if I'd had to.

ummm are we alowed to work out the average speed needed to get to the riviera and the back into otago in 9 hrs scummy
a trip i do twice a year in the cage, well we dont go back to otago though, surprisingly it is quicker to go via west coast from nelson, googled it once and thats what it told me an i said rubbish, then tried it and what ya know, google maps was correct